Hi,
I thought some idm punters might find the following reviews posted to the
breaks list useful. These reviews are of course reposted with the authors
permission... enjoy!
REVIEWS: (some old stuff some new mainly Plug and Squarepusher)
Spring Heel Jack LP "Million Shades" Trade 2 / Island
Plug 1+2 double pack 12" EP's Blue Angel Records
Plug 3 12" EP's Blue Angel Records
Plug "Drum and Bass for Papa" LP Promo white label
Squarepusher LP "Feed Me Weird Things" Rephlex
Squarepusher Plays... 12" Rephlex
Squarepusher 12" "Port Rhombus EP" Warp Records
SPRING HEEL JACK: "Million Shades"
==================================
I'd heard the odd snippit of Spring Heel Jack from various places such
as Coldcut's KISS FM show and out and about some of which was very intriguing
so I brought this on the off chance. I found it wasn't as good as the bits
I'd heard (and sadly didn't contain any of them either) but having said
that this is a nice laid back relaxed (almost reggae like in places) Jungle
record. By that I don't been it's watered down shit that media commentators
can call "intelligent" I mean it's moderately relaxing while still holding
interest.
SUMMARY: Not bad, pleasant to listen to when chilling out. Buy it when you're
in that kind of mood and you should enjoy. 7/10.
PLUG: Plug 1,2,3 12"
====================
Everybody kept telling me to listen to Plug cos it was "weird shit".
Unfortunatly due to lack of a place to get this stuff I couldn't do so until
I came across Riddim Records. When I did I snapped these up and bunged them
straight on. Of course a lot of this will be old history for some of you - but
it's new to me - maybe it'll be new to someone else.
Going on the 3 12"'s I definitely enjoyed Plug 1 and 2 better then 3. The
use of the harp and string section with the "angel choir" from some
old movie during "7.10" and "3.41" on Plug 1 was particularly interesting on
a breakbeat record and immediatly endeared it to me. Over time though, I'm
finding that "7:44" on the B side of Plug 1 with the strange phased gurgling
noises and odd atmospherics is a firm favourite. All of the tracks are
highly enjoyable though despite not being quite what I'd call "stuff that
would get the dance floor moving".
Plug 3 was a slight disappointment compared to Plug 1 and 2 in that I
expected more "weird shit" but to be honest it was a bit tame by comparison.
That's not to say it's not good. It is good. It's just not quite as
innovative (IMO) as 1 and 2. Additionally, one track "Brave Lick (Let's Get
Down)" which has a sample of some guy repeatedly saying "Let's Get Down"
I found rather irritating. However, thats the price of experimental music.
I'm sure that there are many people who find the harps I like on Plug 1
irritating.
SUMMARY: Plug 1 and 2 - Loved them - you will too if you like Jungle that's
"experimental". Some of it is pretty weird texturally (not so much in terms
of rhythm - all straight 4/4). Get's 9/10 from me. Plug 3 - Not as good but
still highly enjoyable. Get it to complete the collection if you happen to
like Plug. This one gets 7/10.
PLUG: DRUM AND BASS FOR PAPA (Promo white label) Expected Release Date 15/7/96
==============================================================================
I was a bit worried about this seeing as I wasn't as impressed by Plug 3 as
1 and 2. Was he on a downward spiral? However, my fears were unfounded. A
good 75% of this is the weird stuff I like. The remaining 25% seemed to me
to be a little bit like treading water to fill out the album. But it's worth
it for the good bits which are at least up to the same standard as Plug 1/2.
Unfortunatly I can't give any track names cos there weren't any with the
promo I got. However, there was one particularly nice track with a muted
trumpet section which particularly did something for me. There was another
track where I was actually SHOCKED to find him drifting out of 4/4 time
which almost worked! That one would kill a dance floor. Maybe one to play
when you want to get rid of people. Thats not to say it's a bad track. It's
interesting - particularly polyrhythmically (and when I say that I mean
polyrythmns as in two different time signitures being played simultaneously
not two breakbeats being played at the same time). But you listen to this
stuff with your head not your feet and thats the crux of Plug I guess.
SUMMARY: This is definitely worth having if you're into Plug. Again some is
very "experimental" so don't expect to move dance floors but great for
listening to at home. 8.5/10
SQUAREPUSHER: FEED ME WEIRD THINGS LP
=====================================
When listening to Squarepusher I must admit I'm always tempted to think:
"what would we have if we took away the drum samples / breakbeats?". The
answer is probably a rather middle of the road jazz/rock record. Infact
something that would sound very familiar to those who remember the likes
of jazz funk outfits such as Larry Coryell's Eleventh House or Brand X.
However, this doesn't really matter because we don't have to take the drums
away and with them in it sounds great to me. It does however, show where
Tom Jenkinson's roots lie (I believe he was a jazz drummer originally) and
this does open the rather interesting possibility of other mutations of
Jungle with different traditional styles. Having said this, Tom Jenkinson
blends Jazz and Jungle very skillfully and it would take someone with a
similar talent and feeling to do it convincingly. In some ways Jazz is closer
to the complexities of non dance-floor-AMEN based breakbeats then some other
forms of music.
In common with a lot of the best Jungle artists in my opinion, Tom makes
synthetic sampled drums into a new instrument in their own right. This is
one of the key most exciting things about Jungle generally for me. People
talk about using real drummers, but to be honest there is just no way a
human drummer could play the kind of things Tom and friends concoct (same is
true of Plug). Even if they did the texture would be all wrong. They could at
best approximate. But whats the point? These people are involved in pushing
music forward into areas not appropriate for human drummers and I LIKE IT
THAT WAY.
The album contains a lot of good stuff. Highlights include "The Squarepusher
Theme" which sounds very much like it's based on a sample from "The Ocean Is
The Ultimate Solution", a rythmically almost impossible jazz/rock track
by Frank Zappa from the album "Sleep Dirt". Again that's Tom's roots showing.
He doesn't attempt to match anything like the rhythmic complexity of the
original here but instead gives us some nice breakbeats and bass playing
(which I gather he does manually himself) more appropriate for dance floors.
My personal favourite from he the album is "North Circular" which is
texturally dense (perhaps somewhere inbetween what he normally does
and Plugs stuff).
SUMMARY: I can't really find any faults with this record. If you like
Tom Jenkinsons stuff go and buy it. I gather it's also out on CD but I
haven't seen a copy anywhere (mines vinyl). It get's 9/10
SQUAREPUSHER PLAYS... 12"
=========================
An EP containing "The Squarepusher Theme", "Theme from Goodbye Renaldo",
"Deep Fried Pizza". The "Squarepusher Theme" is the same as on the album.
"Theme from Goodbye Renaldo" is interesting in that at first it appears
to be heading away from 4/4 time too but unfortunatly doesn't develop
very well in my opinion. I guess from the title it's supposed to be like
for a soundtrack or something? Well I think it might work in that context
but I dunno - something was missing for me. "Deep Fried Pizza" was the best
new track being the usually hyper-fast jazz/jungle stuff he does.
SUMMARY: If you have the album "Feed Me Weird Things" you may want to think
carefully on buying this one as it contains little new stuff of merit (IMO).
But then again if you really like his stuff go for it. I give it 7/10.
SQUAREPUSHER PORT RHOMBUS EP 12"
================================
This ones more like it. The usual frantic jazz/jungle style Squarepusher
affecionado's will recognise and warm to. Tracks are "Port Rhombus",
"Problem Child" and "Significant Others". All tracks are good nothing
to fault here.
SUMMARY: If you like his stuff get it. 9/10.
Hope some of you found this of moderate interest...
henry
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